and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”
Parallel translations
- WEB When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”
- KJV And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
- BSB On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
- NASB and when they had gone out, they began talking to one another, saying, “This man is not doing anything deserving death or imprisonment.”
- NLT As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
In private the officials agree that Paul has done nothing deserving death or imprisonment.
Overview
Withdrawing to confer, the leaders acknowledge Paul's innocence, echoing the repeated declarations of his blamelessness throughout Acts. As with Christ before Pilate, the authorities find no real guilt in the accused. This vindication underscores that Paul suffers not for wrongdoing but for the gospel, and highlights the injustice of his prolonged imprisonment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Acts 23:29I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
- Acts 23:9A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!”
- Acts 28:18who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.
- Acts 25:25But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him,
- 1 Pet 4:14–16If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.
- 2 Sam 24:17David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house.”
- 1 Pet 3:16having a good conscience; that, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ.
- Luke 23:4Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
- Luke 23:14–15and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined him before you, and found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 26:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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